Solicitation Waiver, Child & adolescent assessment, treatment planning & outcome monitoring tool

The State of Nevada's Department of Administration Purchasing Division, in collaboration with the Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS), is seeking to procure a Solicitation Waiver for continued use of the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment tool from the Praed Foundation. This single-source procurement focuses on obtaining comprehensive technical assistance, training, and implementation support for the CANS multi-purpose assessment instrument, which is used for initial assessment, care planning, treatment planning, and outcomes monitoring in child welfare and behavioral health systems. The procurement seeks to establish a new contract with a start date upon approval and an end date of 9/8/2031, with the specific deliverables including ongoing access to the copyrighted CANS tool, professional training, and technical implementation guidance. The total estimated contract value is $420,000, with funding comprised of 67% state appropriations and 33% federal funds. The Praed Foundation, specifically, is identified as the sole provider of CANS training and support in the United States and internationally, which justifies the waiver of standard competitive procurement processes.

This procurement appears to have no specific set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations, with the Praed Foundation being the exclusive vendor due to their copyright ownership of the CANS tool. The previous contract with the Praed Foundation, which ran from 01/01/2020 to 09/30/2023 and was valued at $185,000, serves as historical context for this new agreement. No additional infrastructure or technology integration requirements are explicitly mentioned in the solicitation documentation. The procurement leverages an existing relationship with the Praed Foundation, recognizing their unique position as the developer and copyright holder of the CANS assessment tool, which was originally created by Dr. John Lyons in 1999. The contract's budget of $420,000 represents a significant investment in standardized child and adolescent assessment methodologies, demonstrating the state's commitment to comprehensive mental health and welfare service evaluation.